Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-02
THE MEETING WIZ BE HELD.

The suggestion OF the RErUBLIC yeSter
day that a meeting of citizens be held Il
discuss municipal legislation and the pos
Sibility OF yet getting a bill passed meeting
the wants of our people, struck a popular
chord. and the meeting will be held.
Everybody seems to agree that the new
police court hill is not what We want il
Springfield, but what We do want is 3
salaried mayor and police and fir'
commission. if il could be- Oh
tanned, and 1t can he obtained
1t can be obtained Just as easily as the plan
now before the people il the people NOV,
promptly and unitedly in the matter. Will
this III view. at the request of very larg,
number of citizens such a meeting will bt
held at the wigwam on Friday evening OF
this week, at = o'clock, Il
take action III this matter.
This will he citizens meeting and every.
body is invited 10 attend and Join in til,
proceedings. Eememher the place and
date. and hc on hands.
TIL. Cancellation of the whole Matter.
To the Colored People of Springfield. Ohio:
The end Of the beginning has come, and
with it great joy to all who We're made to
endure unjust discrimination on the basis
of color. 1t has been repeatedly asserted
by those who are acquainted with the school
fight i'll Springfield, known as the ''Gaza-
way case" that that was the beginning OF
what we now enjoy and have so royally
commemorated. | was urged To let my
daughters case be used as the entering
wedge 10 destroy ''the discrimination
against colored children. under the name.
word or preteXt of classification" The
above quotation is from the pen of Senator
Pringle, and it appeared in the Commercial
Gazette June Il. 1883. Mr.. Pringle was
one of the attorneys, and is therefore pre-
pared to give the true interest Of the suit.
In bringing the suit in the United States
court at Cincinnati il was necessary TO give
bond for the cost. This was not able Ia
do, and | was ready to drop the case, and
| intended To do 81. and was preparing
to announce the same. | reported 10 my
friends that bond was demanded. | made
the same statement to Mr.. Buford. who
having become enthused with the matter.
and vino. in common with Others believed
that the fight would result fayorably. as
sumed the bond in connection with Mr.. f..
Edmondson, with the understanding that il
was a fight for the peOle. Had either of
the gentlemen told me. when they signed
the bond, that they regarded the matter as
my personal obligation. or had understood
that the fight was my own individual night
there would have been no fight at all before
the L. 5. court against W. J. White, super
intendent, by me, because | did not con-
slider myself able Ia carry on disagree
ment of that magnitude alone, but on the
other hand. the public meetings held. the
citizens finance committee with Hr. Buford
a. treasurer, the cane pTeSenta-
ton to Mr. Clifton NJ. Nichols.
The enumeration of the colOred children of
the city. and the measuring of the distances
they travelled TO and from school. and the
repeated. earnest solicitations TO allow the
use of the name of my daughter. all this
caused me 10 believe that il was fight for
the whole community of colOred children:
and in addition 10 all this. the money col
lected and paid into the citizens finance
committee treasurer's hands, and by him
paid to the attorneys, and received by said
attorneys and receipted for. as funds paid
on account of 'GaZaway Suit''-all this and
more, caused me to believe that the suit
was in the interest of the whole population
of cOlored children. have been misrep-
resented and slandered because of my re-
fuSal TO assume to pay this bond.
The matter of damage has been referred,
To. asked for no damages when thiP
matter was spoken Of 10 me. | said that
money was not the object sought, but that
We wanted for our children their rights in
the public schools. And had the suit been
won and damages paid, fully intended TO
return to every man every cent that he had
paid into the general fund. for TO carry on
the suit. have the subscription book with
the name and amount of some of the sub
Scribers. have also the names of the
citizens finance committee. Mr.. James
Buford. treasurer. And now. in conclusion,
| want to ask the citizens of Springfield of
color. 10 tell me what they want lie to do
or what they are willing to do in this matter
Mr. Buford and Mr.. Edmondson should
not he compelled To stand this loss. il is
wrong. If ali will give little. the amont
which Is SIS. can be raised. Twenty five
cents each from three hundred and thirty
two persons will settle the account and give
the right jingle to our joliiication. | sub
scribe five dollars; have paid part of it:
am ready to pay the balance when the
citizens shall have spoken.
j. W. GAZAwNN.